NYC Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours: Best Routes, Tips & Tickets (2025)

Where to Go, Stay, and Eat in the Flatiron District

By Paul Martinez
Updated July 9, 2025

From the Empire State Building to Times Square and the Brooklyn Bridge, the city of New York is full of incredible landmarks to see before leaving. And maybe you are looking for the most efficient way to do it all. In that case, let me introduce you to NYC Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours!

✨ NYC Hop On Hop Off Tour Highlights

🗽 Explore Top NYC Attractions – From Times Square to the Empire State Building, Central Park & the Brooklyn Bridge
🚌 Compare Top Providers – Big Bus vs. TopView: routes, ticket types, and best value for tourists
📍 Custom Itineraries – Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn, Harlem & Night Tours for every type of traveler
🎟 Smart Ticket Tips – Where to buy tickets, how to save money, and why Explorer Pass might be all you need
🌆 Best for First-Timers – Stress-free way to see NYC without subway confusion or rigid schedules
🧳 Perfect for Planning – Visa tips, airport arrival advice, and where to stay near Flatiron District
🍽 Foodie Favorites – Eat like a local at Eataly, Cosme, and Korean BBQ in K-Town

Tours are the perfect way of getting to know the enormous city beyond our beloved Flatiron District. So let’s figure out all about them to see what works best for you to meet NYC at your own pace.

With this article, we are going to figure everything out about them. From providers to itineraries, let me help you get to know this amazing city beyond the Flatiron District.

Top photo: Top View NYC Bus

Advantages of Going on a New York City Tour:

Not all visitors consider going on a tour when coming to NYC. People think that you can just add spots like Battery Park, Little Italy, Wall Street, and Greenwich Village to your itinerary and then hope for the best with Google Maps and the subway system. But taking a tour can take all the stress out of planning.

An NYC Hop On Hop Off tour saves you from the stress of figuring out itineraries; there are a few available and ready for you to pick out. And you also won’t have to think about transportation because the next bus stops at regular intervals at their designated stop. It gives you everything you need to have a great time.

Hop-on Hop-off New York Tour Providers:

Although hop-on hop-off bus tours are a rather popular way to get around, there are only four major providers around New York City. There are only two among them that I’d recommend, though.

TopView Sightseeing operates red & white buses, you will be able to see around, while Big Bus has those traditional-looking dark red buses. These two also have pretty similar routes and ticket options, so you’re good to go no matter what. I recommend them mostly because they’re the largest fleets, so you’re never stuck at the stops for too long.

Just remember that even if these buses drive from one major attraction to another, it doesn’t mean that they should be used as a transportation substitute. You will need to figure out the subway or a rental car, as you won’t use them as much.

NYC Hop on Hop off Tour Possible Itineraries:

Since the different providers all have similar routes, let’s have a look at which possible routes you take. They will be included in different ticket categories, so you can get a pass for many days and take advantage of them.

Uptown Loop: This itinerary will take you to Northern Manhattan! It crosses Fifth Avenue, goes along Central Park towards Harlem, and checks off some other stuff from your famous sights list. You can get off the bus to explore the American Museum of Natural History, get back on and hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, then go on to another iconic spot.

Downtown Loop: The Downtown New York Loop is the most popular, mostly because it checks off all the must-see sights. You get to see Madison Square Garden, drive past the Financial District, and you will even be able to grab some authentic Italian dishes at Little Italy or see Prometheus’ statue at Rockefeller Center. This itinerary also includes Times Square with the iconic M&M World, SoHo, Battery Park, Radio City Music Hall, Wall Street, the Lower East Side, the United Nations Building, Carnegie Hall, and many more.

Brooklyn Loop: Who wouldn’t like to see more of this incredible borough? You can do it all with hop-on hop-off bus tours! You get to explore Brooklyn’s Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, and many other sights. Just a warning that this route no longer connects to other bus tours, so you’d have to go to Brooklyn to get on.

Night Tour: If this is your first time in the Big Apple, you should plan to see all the major attractions, but you need to see them at night as well! There is just something special about NYC at night. You get to see it all from the upper deck of a sightseeing bus, each iconic place that makes this city a beloved place.

Harlem Tour: While this ain’t the most popular itinerary, you can do it if this isn’t your first time in town. There are many incredible sights in Northern NYC that you can see.

FAQs on NYC Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

Although NYC hop on hop off bus tours are rather easy to understand, here are the answers to two of the most frequently asked questions about them.

Where Can I Get Tickets?

There are a couple of ways you can get them. The first and easiest one is always going to be online. Just head to either Big Bus New York or TopView to get the best deals. In case you’re out and about, there are usually representatives in front of the M&M World ready to sell all kinds of tickets.

I recommend getting your tickets online, even if there are a couple of fees. Just keep an eye open and always check if your Explorer Pass already includes bus tours. It is awful to spend money when you don’t have to.

What Is the Best Ticket Type?

The best ticket type is going to be whatever best fits your trip and your travel group. Big Bus ticket options are the Classic for a day of riding around through Downtown and Uptown, the Premium one, which lasts for two days and includes every itinerary I mentioned before. The deluxe itinerary lasts two days and includes every bus tour itinerary, plus a sightseeing cruise and tickets to the Empire State Building observation deck.

TopView bus tours work a little differently and can be more bang for your buck. Every ticket tier includes the Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn, Night Tour, and Cruise. You can get more days to do things calmly and get a ticket for the Night tour only, or one for the Sightseeing Ferry.

Final Thoughts

Whenever you are going to a new place, taking a tour is always a great option. You will do the most with the least effort put into planning! This becomes almost a mandatory thing in a city as big as New York. NYC hop on hop off bus tours let you relax while going through a fast-paced city.